Gas-powered revolver



Oct. 19, 1965 R. MERZ 3,212,489

GAS-POWERED REVOLVER Filed April 5, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

RUDOLF MERZ BY i A b brim j Oct. 19, 1965 R. MERZ GAS-POWERED REVOLVER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 5, 1965 INVENTOR.

RUDOLF MERZ 8 3 mm 8 0 5 Q United States Patent 3,212,489 GAS-POWERED REVOLVER Rudolf Merz, Rochester, N.Y., assignor to Crosman Arms Company, Inc., Fair-port, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 5, 1963, Ser. No. 270,849 3 Claims. (Cl. 124-11) This invention relates to gas-powered revolvers, and more particularly to a revolver employing replaceable gas cartridges to supply the propellant for firing the projectiles.

Heretofore gas-operated revolvers have been relatively expensive to manufacture and rather bulky.

One object of this invention is to provide an improved gas-powered revolver which is extremely compact.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gaspowered revolver which is less costly to manufacture.

Another object of this invention is to provide a gaspowered revolver having improved valve means for controlling admission of the propelling gas to the firing chamber of the revolver.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent hereinafter from the specification and from the recital of the appended claims, particularly when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a revolver made in accordance with one embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view, mostly in longitudinal section, of this revolver;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional View of the valve block employed in this revolver;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 in FIG. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 55 in FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals of reference, the revolver comprises a frame having an integral grip or handle portion 11, and a barrel housing 12 which is secured to the frame 10 by stud 13 and screw 14. Secured in the housing 12 by a set-screw 16 is a tubular barrel (FIG. 2).

Mounted on the smooth inner end 18 of stud 13 to rotate about an axis offset from but parallel to barrel 15 is an indexible projectile cylinder 21. In the embodirnent shown, cylinder 21 has six projectile chambers 22 (FIGS. 2 and 5), which extend parallel to barrel 15. The chambers 22 are radially spaced equal distances from stud 13, and are equi-angularly spaced from one another. Integral with one face of cylinder 21 and disposed in a circular path coaxially thereof are a plurality of equiangularly spaced ratchet teeth 23. In a manner to be described more fully below, cylinder 21 is adapted to be rotatably indexed so as to place each of its chambers 22 successively in axial alignment with the inner end of barrel 15.

Removably secured by a spring clamp 26 in a recess 24 in the handle portion 11 of the frame 10 is a conventional cartridge 25 (FIG. 2) containing gas (C0,, or the like) under pressure. The neck of the cartridge 25 extends into the bore 28 of a nut 29 that threads into one end of a block 30 which is secured in the upper end of the handle portion 11. Nut 29 serves through the intermediary of a rubber annulus 34 to hold a piercing member 32 against a shoulder 31 formed by a counterbore in block 30. The piercing member 32 has a conical piercing point 33 and has a duct 35 therethrough. A screw 36, which threads into the butt end of grip 11 in alignment with piercing point 33, serves to force the cartridge 25 upwardly against the piercing point to pierce the cap 37 of the cartridge and release the gas therefrom.

3,212,489 Patented Oct. 19, 1965 "ice The block 30 has therethrough a duct 38 which communicates at one end with duct 35, and at its opposite end with one end of a pipe or tube 39.

The central portion of frame 10 is hollowed out to provide a chamber 41 in which a valve block 43 is secured by screws 42. Valve block 43 is provided with two vertically spaced chambers 44 and 45 which extend parallel to the barrel 15. The end of the pipe 39, which is opposite to the end thereof connected to the block 30 passes through aligned openings in a threaded plug 49 and in washers 47 and 48, and is sealingly secured thereby in communication with the lower chamber 45.

Mounted in the upper chamber 44 is a stationary, elongate sleeve 52 (FIG. 3). At one end thereof sleeve 52 is seated against an annular washer 53 which, in turn, is seated against a shoulder 51 in chamber 44. At its opposite end the sleeve 52 is engaged by one face of a resilient, annular washer 54 made of rubber or the like. The washer 54 is pressed into engagement with the sleeve 52 by means of an axially bored plug 55 which is threaded into the block 43. Plug 55 has an integral, annular boss 56 (FIG. 3), which projects through the central opening in the washer 54. The plug 55 squeezes the resilient washer 54 against the confronting, open end of the sleeve 52 thereby effectively to seal the latter, and to cause the outer peripheral surface of the washer 54 sealingly to engage the surrounding wall of chamber 44. Intermediate its ends the sleeve 52 is of reduced external diameter, and its annular wall has therethrough a plurality of openings 57 (only two of which are shown in FIG. 3), which are equi-angularly spaced from one another. These openings 57 communicate with chamber 44 and, in turn, with a duct 58, which extends through a wall 59 in block 43, which separates the chambers 44 and 45.

Mounted for axial siding movement in chamber 44, is a valve 61. This valve has an intermediate head portion 62, a stern portion 63 projecting from one end of the head portion, and a stem portion 64 projecting from the other end thereof. The stem portions are axially aligned and serve as guide for the valve in its movement. Stem portion 64 extends through not or plug 55; and stem portion 63, which is hollow, has guiding engagement with the bore or duct 65 in the valve block 43. The head portion 62 has therethrough at least two diametrically opposite converging ducts 66. Ducts 66 communicate with the bore 67 of stem portion 63. A coiled compression spring 68 surrounds the guide stem 63 and is interposed between the washer 53 and the head portion 62 of the valve, so that it constantly urges the valve 61 axially in a direction to seat its head portion 62 against the resilient washer 54 to seal and close off the ducts or ports 66 in the valve. An O-ring 69 (FIG. 3), which fits tightly on stem portion 63 of the valve, serves to prevent leakage along the valve stem.

At its forward end the block 43 is provided with a diagonal duct 70 which connects duct 65 with that charnber 22 of cylinder 21 which is at any moment aligned with the inner end of the barrel 15.

The valve 61 is adapted to be opened by the hammer of the revolver; and the cylinder 21 is adapted to be actuated by any conventional trigger-operated pawl. 71 denotes the trigger. It is pivotally mounted (FIG. 2) on pin 72 in frame 10. Trigger 71 is of bellcrank shape and is constantly urged clockwise in FIG. 2 by a coil spring 75. It has at one end thereof a rearwardly projecting arm 73, and at its opposite end projects downwardly into an opening formed by a trigger guard 74 integral with frame 10. pivotally mounted in the frame 10 on a pin 76 is a hammer 77. Hammer 77 is constantly urged to- Ward fired position (counterclockwise in FIG. 2) by means of an elongate leaf spring 78, one end of which is engaged in a notch 79 in the handle 11; and the upper end of which is slidably seated in an elongate notch 80 formed in the bottom of the hammer 77. A detent 81, which has a knuckle-shaped upper end 82, is mounted in a recess in the hammer 77, to pivot about an axis which extends transverse to the axis of barrel 15. A small compression spring 84 housed in a recess in the lower end of the hammer 77 engages the lower end of the detent 81 constantly to urge the latter clockwise in FIG. 2 and into engagement with a flat 83 formed on the hammer.

Pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on a pin 85 (FIG. '2) carried by the frame 10 adjacent the rear end of the trigger guard 74 is a sear 86. A compression spring 87 housed in a recess in frame 10 engages the lower end of the sear 86 constantly to urge the latter in a clockwise direction in FIG. 2. The upper end of sear 86 is provided with a notch 88, which is engageable with a first projection 89 formed beneath a curved cam surface 90 on the lower face of the hammer 77, when the latter is in its uncocked position. Notch 88 engages a second projection 91 formed on the lower right hand end of the hammer rearwardly of the projection 89, when the hammer is in its cocked position.

Pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on the pivot pin 72 is an elongate lever 92 (FIG. 2). Pivotally mounted at one end of the forward end of the lever 92 is a pawl 93. Pawl 93 extends upwardly from lever 92 into juxtaposition with the ratchet teeth 23 formed on the rear face of the cylinder 21. It is constantly urged into engagementwith the ratchet teeth by a spring 95 whose opposite ends engage the lever 92 and pawl 93, respectively. Adjacent its opposite end the lever 92 is curved slightly downwardly and has therethrough a longitudinally extending slot- 96 the sidewalls of which surround and guide a roller 97 which is rotatably mounted on a pin 98 carried by the hammer 77.

Mounted to slide in a groove 102 in the outer surface of valve block 43 is the base 104 (FIG. of a pellet pusher or loader 103.

A cover plate 105 (FIG. 1) is secured to frame over its recess 41 by means of a plurality of screws 106 which thread into internally threaded holes 107 formed in the frame (FIG. 2). Cover plate 105 is provided with a central opening 108 through which the cylinder 21 and the valve block 43 are adapted to project when the cover plate is secured in place. A cover plate 109 is removably secured over the recess 24 in the handle 11 by any conventional means.

For use, plate 109 may be removed temporarily to permet the insertion of a gas cartridge 25 into the recess 24 so that the neck portion of the cartridge seats in the block 30 as shown in FIG. 2. The screw 36 is then threaded into the grip or handle until the cartridge 25 is in engagement with the rubber ring 34 and its cap is pierced by the pointed end of piercer 33. The ring 34 seals the upper end of the cartridge 26 so that when the latter is punctured, gas from the cartridge will pass through the piercer, the Washer 32, the duct 38, the tube 39, the chamber 45 and the duct 58 to the chamber 44. Since at this time the valve 61 will be in its closed position as shown in FIG. 2, the gas will fill chamber 44 until the pressure therein is equal to the pressure in the cartridge. A pellet is then positioned in front of the pusher 103 and the latter is urged manually forwardly in its groove 102 so that its base 104 engages and presses the pellet into that particular chamber 22 in cylinder 21 which happens to be aligned with the pusher. Each chamber of the cylinder is so loaded. The hammer 77 is then manually pivoted (clockwise in FIG. 2) to its cocked position, wherein the notch 88 in the upper end of sear 86 engages the shoulder 91 on the lower end of the hammer.

During this cocking step, the cam surface 90 of hammer 77 engages the arm 73 on trigger 71 and pivots the latter counterclockwise against the resistance of spring 75. At the, same time, the roller 97 by its engagement with slot 96, causes the lever 92 to pivot clockwise in FIG. 2 so that pawl 93 indexes the cylinder 21 one-sixth of a revolution, whereby a chamber 22 carrying a pellet is rotated from a position opposite the pusher 103 into axial alignment with the inner end of the barrel 15 and with the duct 70 in valve block 43. A pellet is now in firing position, and the hammer 77 is in its cocked position.

When the trigger 71 is squeezed, it engages the lower end of the sear 86 so that the latter is pivoted slightly counterclockwise in FIG. 2, thereby causing its notch 88 to release the shoulder 91 on the hammer 77. The latter then pivots rapidly counterclockwise under action of spring 78 so that the forward end of the hammer strikes the valve stem 64, opening valve 61 against the resistance of spring 68. The compressed gas in chamber 44 then passes through the ports 66 in head 62, the sleeve portion 63 of valve 61', and duct 70 to the rear of the projectile disposed in firing position in barrel 15. This pressure of the gas behind the projectile then causes the projectile to be propelled out of the barrel. The spring 68 returns valve 61 to closed position against the action of spring 78 after the projectile has been fired from the revolver. This slight rearward movement of the hammer 77 permits the notched end 88 in the sear 86 to engage the projection 89 at the lower end of the hammer thereby to hold the latter slightly rearwardly of its fully fired position (FIG. 2) until the revolver is again cocked.

As the hammer 77 advances to fired position, it elevates roller 97 slightly causing the lever 92 to pivot counterclockwise in FIG. 2, resetting the pawl 93.

Once the cartridge 25 has been punctured, its interior remains in constant communication with chambers 45 and 44, so that the latter will automatically be filled with gas under pressure when the valve 61 returns to its closed position subsequent to firing. Projectiles therefore may be loaded and fired in the manner above described until the cartridge is exhausted Thereafter the cover 109 is removed and the screw 36 is backed off to permit the removal of the empty cartridge, and its replacement by a new cartridge.

The trigger mechanism is designed to permit its use as either a single or double action mechanism, a feature well known to those skilled in the art.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that applicant has devised an extremely compact and relatively inexpensive gas-powered revolver. Moreover, applicants novel revolver employs a minimum of moving parts.

While the invention has been described in connection with a specific embodiment thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of further modification, and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains and as may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth, and as fall within the scope of the invention or the limits of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A revolver comprising (a) a frame having a barrel projecting from one end thereof, and a handle projecting from the other end thereof,

(b) a cylinder rotatably mounted in said frame and having therein a plurality of projectile chambers,

(c) means for indexing said cylinder intermittently about its axis to align said projectile chambers successively with the bore of said barrel,

(d) a hollow valve block mounted in said frame and having a gas chamber therein and a duct connecting said gas chamber with the projectile chamber aligned with said barrel,

(e) a movable, one-piece valve mounted in said gas chamber and normally disposed in a closed position to block the flow of gas from said gas chamber to said duct,

(f) a seat for said valve in the rear of said chamber,

(g) a second duct connected with said gas chamber for feeding gas into said gas chamber in front of said valve to aid in normally seating said valve,

(h) said valve having an opening therein which is connected at one end with the first-named duct, and which is closed at its opposite end by said Valve seat when said valve is closed,

(i) a movable hammer connected to said indexing means and movable to a cocked position to index said cylinder, and movable to a fired position to strike and move said valve to its open position temporarily,

(j) a spring constantly urging said valve to its closed position, and

(k) means in said handle for removably supporting a cartridge filled with gas under pressure, with the discharge end of the cartridge connected to said second duct.

2. A revolver as defined in claim 1 wherein said valve comprises (a) a tubular guide portion slidable at one end in the first-named duct, and

(b) an enlarged diameter head portion integral with the opposite end of said tubular portion and having therethrough a plurality of ports for connecting said gas chamber with the bore in said tubular portion,

(c) said valve seat is a resilient member mounted in said valve block to confront said ports in said head portion, and on which said head portion seats, and

(d) said spring surrounds said tubular guide portion.

3. A gas-operated revolver, comprising (a) a frame having at one end a barrel, and at its opposite end a gripping handle having a recess for holding a cartridge filled with gas under pressure,

(b) a valve block mounted in said frame rearwardly of said barrel, and having therein a gas chamber,

(c) a duct in said frame connecting said chamber with a gas cartridge mounted in said handle,

((1) a valve slidable in said chamber and having a head, and guide stems projecting from opposite ends of said head and extending through aligned openings in opposite ends of said valve block, one of said guide stems being tubular,

(e) a resilient valve seat disposed in one end of said valve block and surrounding the other valve stem, (f) said valve having therein a plurality of ports, each of which opens at one end on one end face of said head, and at its opposite end communicates with the bore in said one guide stem,

(g) a spring in said chamber engaging said valve and urging said one end face of said head into engagement with said valve seat to close said ports,

(h) an indexible cylinder mounted rotatably in said frame between said barrel and said block, and having therein a plurality of projectile chambers, each of which, successively upon indexing of said cylinder, communicates, at its forward end with the rear end of said barrel, and at its rear end with the bore in said tubular guide stem,

(i) a trigger,

(j) a hammer movable upon tripping of said trigger to transmit a blow to said other valve stem to open said valve and its ports, and

(k) means connecting said trigger to said cylinder to effect indexing thereof each time said trigger is operated.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/61 Merz 124-11 9/61 Hyde 124ll 

3. A GAS-OPERATED REVOLVER, COMPRISING (A) A FRAME HAVING AT ONE END A BARREL, AND AT ITS OPPOSITE END A GRIPPING HANDLE HAVING A RECESS FOR HOLDING A CARTRIDGE FILLED WITH A GAS UNDER PRESSURE, (B) A VALVE BLOCK MOUNTED IN SAID FRAME REARWARDLY OF SAID BARREL, AND HAVING THEREIN A GAS CHAMBER, (C) A DUCT IN SAID FRAME CONNECTING SAID CHAMBER WITH A GAS CARTRIDGE MOUNTED IN SAID HANDLE, (D) A VALVE SLIDABLE IN SAID CHAMBER AND HAVING A HEAD, AND GUIDE STEMS PROJECTING FROMOPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID HEAD AND EXTENDING THROUGH AALIGNED OPENINGS IN OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID VALVE BLOCK, ONE OF SAID GUIDE STEMS BEING TUBULAR, (E) A RESILIENT VALVE SEAT DISPOSED IN ONE END OF SAID VALVE BLOCK AND SURROUNDING THE OTHER VALVE STEM, (F) SAID VALVE HAVING THEREIN A PLURALITY OF PORTS, EACH OF WHICH OPENS AT ONE END ON ONE END FACE OF SAID HEAD, AND AT ITS OPPOSITE END COMMUNICATES WITH THE BORE IN SAID ONE GUIDE STEM, (G) A SPRING IN SAID CHAMBER ENGAGING SAID VALVE AND URGING SAID ONE END FACE OF SAID HEAD INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID VALVE SEAT TO CLOSE SAID PORTS, (H) AN INDEXIBLE CYLINDER MOUNTED ROTATABLY IN SAID FRAME BETWEEN SAID BARREL AND SAID BLOCK, AND HAVING THEREIN A PLURALITY OF PORJECTILE CHAMBERS, EACH OF WHICH, SUCCESSIVELY UPON INDEXING OF SAID CYLINDER, COMMUNICATES, AT ITS FORWARD END WITH THE REAR END OF SAID BARREL, AND AT ITS REAR END WITH THE BORE IN SAID TUBULAR GUIDE STEM, (I) A TRIGGER, (J) A HAMMER MOVABLE UPON TRIPPING OF SAID TRIGGER TO TRANSMIT A BLOW TO SAID OTHER VALVE STEM TO OPEN SAID VALVE AND ITS PORTS, AND (K) MEANS CONNECTING SAID TRIGGER TO SAID CYLINDER TO EFFECT INDEXING THEREOF EACH TIME SAID TRIGGER IS OPERATED. 